Anywhere But Here
by QuietShadowz
Summary: Katara has just gotten into medical school and is on her was to becoming a doctor. She's in a new place, at a new college and she's ready for a new start with no shenanigans, no craziness and no drama (gods knows she doesn't need any of that right now.) However if her new roommate Ty Lee has any say things are about to get way off track. Zutara


**Hi guys it's been a long time I hope you like this and thanks for the read I was inspired to write this and it's been living in my head since I heard the song Here by Alessia Cara I hope you enjoy and I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender or any of the characters.**

 **Rated T for Language and drug use**

Chapter 1

In Which Katara Reluctantly Partys

 **xXxXx**

" Sorry if I seem a uninterested

or I'm not listening or I'm indifferent

truly I've got no business here

but since my friends are here I just came to kick it"

 **xXxXx**

Katara didn't know why she let her roommate talk her into going to this party. She wasn't a freshman anymore she was a med student now. Besides one thing she learned in undergrad was that partying just wasn't her thing. It never really had been. Making friends in a new place was important but these just didn't seem like her kind of people. Her new roommate Ty Lee seemed nice enough which why she agreed to come here and the apartment was nice well from what she could see of it from her place on a nice black leather couch in the corner. She finally sat here after giving up on awkwardly following Ty Lee through the crowd. Only now her peace well as much peace as one can get in a dimly lit over crowed apartment with music playing louder than she could think- had been broken. A guy with chin length brown hair had sat himself next to her effectively wedging himself into the space shed put between her and the four people passing around a blunt next to her. She had effectively been putting a stop to all conversation he'd been trying to make but the guy was persistent and obviously not picking up on her "leave me the hell alone vibes"

"Sitting here must be lonely baby girl" he tried to say smoothly "I can show you a good time on the dance floor I'll have you know I'm an excellent dancer among other things" he smirked at her confidently

"First off asshole" Katara gritted out "I am _not_ you baby, and secondly I'm perfectly fine here"

"Don't be like that" he insisted grabbing her arm roughly "why don't I get you a drink and we'll try this again"

"Chan take a hint, she said piss off" came a voice from the circle of people smoking. "Or do you want me to kick you out of my house for being a sleeze, _again._ " Katara looked toward the voice of her savior and found it belonged to a tall girl in black her dark kohl lined eyes narrowed in Chans direction. Taking the not so subtle hint Chan got up and disappeared into the crowd.

"Thanks for that" Katara smiled at the girl "I'm Katara"

"Mai" replied the girl before she took a hit off the blunt "Do you smoke" she asked offering the firey stick to Katara

"Sometimes" Katara replied taking the blunt from Mai and inhaling the think smoke "I prefer it to drinking, it makes you less stupid" she handed it to the next person in rotation Mai laughed in reply

"You got that right. This is Jin she said pointing to the girl on her left, that's Leah and Kira" she said pointing to the other two girl's respectively the three girls nodded or waved in greeting before going back to their conversation. "You're Ty Lee's new roommate" Mai stated

"Yeah, she's the one who brought me here" Katara replied a loud commotion broke out in the direction of hat Katara figured was the kitchen and Mai got up swiftly

"I'll be right back" said Mai who now that she was standing Katara realized was much taller than Katara initially thought. After a moment the commotion died down. The music cut out and the lights brightened

"Alright that's enough everybody out" came another voice not quiet yelling but with the amount of authority she had in her voice she didn't need to. Katara began to stand up to leave when Mai came back dragging someone by their shirt. She roughly shoved him onto the couch

"Can you watch him please?" Mai asked her voice filled with no small amount of disgust. She stalked away angrily and began ushering drunk people out of her apartment before Katara could say a word. Katara looked over at the guy Mai had shoved on the couch next to her but before she could get a good look at him he began gaging and she barely managed to get him sitting up so he wouldn't choke on his own puke. His thanks was to promptly puke all over her shoes. _Oh god this has been the worst night ever_ she thought. First she'd gotten a drink spilled on her, then Chan the creep wouldn't leave her alone and just when things started looking up she'd gotten puked on by this guy Mai had just randomly thrown at her. To add to all that her ex-boyfriend Aang had been texting her all night and she had a distinct feeling he might be drunk. Never the less she angled the guy away from her and patted his back gently. After what seemed like an eternity most of the people had cleared out and Mai wandered back.

"Seriously T?" she said in disgust she tried to help the guy back up but he was nearly passed out at this point "Would help me out?" She asked slightly embarrassed. Katara slipped an arm behind the guys back and helped Mai half drag the guy into a bedroom and then into an adjoining bathroom where Mai unceremoniously dumped him in the shower, turned on the cold water and walked out. Katara reluctantly followed Mai back into the bedroom, "I'm really sorry about your shoes… and your clothes" Mai said sincerely Katara hadn't even realized that the guy had gotten puke on her

"It's okay I've dealt with worse" Katara replied "my brother Sokka does _not_ know how to handle liquor" Mai gave a light chuckle

"Apparently neither does my brother" Mai replied while rifling around in her closet "Here they'll probably be too long but they look like they'll fit you" Mai handed her a spare pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt

"Thanks Mai"

"No problem I'll just be in here" Mai gestured to the bathroom where he brother could be heard flailing in the bathtub. Katara changed quickly once Mai left and then wandered out to the kitchen to look for a plastic bag to put her clothes in.

Katara stood awkwardly in the kitchen for a minute looking around and trying to ignore the girls who remained in the kitchen

"Did you see Kirstie tonight? Poor thing she was trying all night to get Haru's attention, doesn't she know he's _mine_ now. Silly girl will never learn, always trying to get with guys who obviously want me" The girl laughed "I'm sure she'll be taking shit about me later all it proves though is that all my haters love me" _oh god_ Katara thought is this girl even real?

"Oh please Julie" Came a slightly malicious voice from the entryway of the kitchen "I have no idea why Mai keeps you around but the thought that a pathetic girl like you has haters is amusing. Now if you'll kindly get the hell out you are unwanted here" The girls eyes widened and her and her friends hurried out of the kitchen and the apartment without even looking back. Katara honestly didn't blame them the girl standing in front of her was intimidating she had a punk rock look but somehow managed to make her baggy jeans and cut t-shirt look regal. The girl looked Katara up and down in a way that Katara could only call predatory.

"So you're Ty Lee's new roommate." She stated "I'm Azula"

"Katara" she replied managing to compose herself "uh I was just looking for a plastic bag to put my clothes in Mai's brother threw up on me" she explained

"Ah yes, you would think he would learn wouldn't he?" She said looking at her nails "The plastic bags are under the sink to the left" she said before walking out. Katara fished one out before heading back to Mai's room and putting her dirty clothes in the bag. It was as she finished her task and walked back into the living room that she realized that Ty Lee was nowhere to be seen.. and Ty Lee was her ride

" _are you fucking kidding me?_ Katara raged in her head " _she was my ride what am I supposed to do walk home?"_ she awkwardly leaned against the wall near the door and pulled her phone out of her bra since these pants had no pockets.

" _Dude where are you?"_ she texted Ty Lee

 _"_ _So sorry got distracted"_ was Ty Lee's immediate reply followed by _"I'll find a ride for you roomie ^-^"_ Katara glared at her phone so hard that she wouldn't have been surprised had it spontaneously combusted. The sound of footsteps approaching her made her look up

"Ty Lee texted me and since I am too drunk to drive I've arranged for someone to come get you" Azula said with a fake casualness that Katara found suspicious. "Anyways they should be here shortly, goodnight." With that she turned on her heel and walked back into her room. The whole exchange was weird Azula was kinda weird Katara decided. So was Mai but they bother seemed pretty nice. As if summoning Mai by thinking about her the tall girl wandered out of her room and into the kitchen. Katara feeling weird about just standing in the living room followed her. Mai was collecting cleaning supplies and began putting trash into a large black bag. Katara not one to watch someone clean followed suit and took it upon herself to used some rags and Lysol wipes to clean up the puke on the couch and floor.

"You really don't have to do that" Mai's voice came once she saw what Katara was doing

"That's alright I really have dealt with my fair share of disgusting things in lab it doesn't bother me too much." Katara replied "Besides lucky enough this is hardwood and the couch is leather so it's not too hard" Mai just raised an eyebrow and then went back to what she was doing. They finished cleaning in silence and then both sat on the newly cleaned leather couch.

"Thanks for the help I guess" May finally broke the silence "Want to smoke?" she questioned bringing out a bowl and a bad of herb

"Why the hell not its been a rough night" Katara replied. They sat in silence as they smoked. After about ten minutes their silence was broken by the sound of the front door opening.

"Azula sent an SOS" came a raspy voice as a guy walked in the living room pushing his shaggy hair out of his face "I got out of bed for this so it better be good" Katara bit her tounge to keep herself from reacting. The man had a very handsome face but that wasn't what made Katara have to stifle a gasp. The left side of his face by his eye was marred by an angry red scar though it was partially hidden by his shaggy black hair.

"Zuko" Mai said looking him up and down "this is Katara, she needs a ride home. Ty Lee 'left' her here and she needs a ride home" Mai said bringing her fingers up with little air quotes when she said the word left which Katara found odd.

"Are you kidding me?" Zuko replied incredulously "That is what Azula woke me up at 3 in the morning for? I am not a fucking taxi for all your little friends"

"Yes well you're here now so will you take Katara home?"

"Might as well, lets go" Zuko turned on his heel and stalked out the door. Mai got up to follow him so it seemed that Katara had no choice but to follow.

"See you around" May gave a light wave before ushering Katara out the door and locking in behind her. Zuko stormed away from the apartment without even a goodbye to Mai.

 **xXxXx**

 **Thanks for reading originally** **Zuko was gonna be at the party and be the one to tell Chan to piss off but Mai just walked in my head and demanded to be written so here she is. I actually love Mai and I feel that her character had a lot of potential. also I made TomTom closer to Mai's age in this for plot reasons. I have more of this written and I hope you guys like it. Please Review and thank you in advance if you do :)**

 **-QSz**


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